I think this might say more about your geographic location than you think :)

People from other continents always surprise me with various fruits they taken for granted their entire life, but I've never heard about, and vice-versa.

> I think this might say more about your geographic location than you think

Clearly, for instance Welwitschia (1) listed. I think this says a lot about location.

It's a fascinating plant, but it is an endangered species, endemic to the Namib desert. And as far as I know, not that commonly eaten.

1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welwitschia

Lotus root is pretty common in Chinese and Japanese cuisine. I've had it pickled and in a Sichuan dry pot. It's crunchy and takes on flavors pretty well.

We use it in cuisines from India, particularly from Tamil nadu, as well. Lotus root, seeds, the petals, pretty much all.

Can you name (in Tamil, but written in English) and describe the dishes in which those lotus parts are used? Interested.

1. Thamarai Thandu Poriyal / Varuval (Stir-fried Lotus Stem): A popular dish where the lotus stem is peeled, sliced into coins, and stir-fried with coconut oil, mustard seeds, shallots, green chilies, curry leaves, and sometimes sambar powder or chili flakes.

2. Thamarai Thandu Uppukari (Lotus Stem Dry Curry): A preparation where the lotus stem is boiled with salt, then deep-fried or stir-fried until light golden brown to create a crispy side dish, often served with rasam rice.

3. Thamarai Kizhangu Vathal (Dried Lotus Root Crisps): A traditional, shelf-stable snack where the lotus stem is sliced, salted, and dried, then fried before consumption.

4. Lotus Petal Paruppu Usili (Steamed Lentil Crumble): A dish made by finely chopping tender inner lotus petals and mixing them with coarsely ground, steamed, and crumbled lentils (dal), similar to traditional Tamil Paruppu Usili.

5. Thamara Vadai (Lotus Stem Fritters): A traditional snack in South India that uses sliced lotus stem in a seasoned batter, similar to a vadai.

saw the reply a bit late, but thanks.

Yeah, lotus and ginkgo are both fairly common, I'm sure a lot of us have had them.

Lichen and moss being the most ancient foods makes sense to me based on watching episodes of Alone. You can get calories from that stuff if you're desperate, but it sure doesn't seem a pleasant way to sustain yourself.

Lotus root is pretty common. A crunchy tuber that keeps its texture after cooking, bland taste, unique visual appeal. I threw some in the last pot of bean chili my family made, and the kids liked it.

my wife and I regularly eat lotus root, it's quite delicious and common in chinese cooking. the others not so much.

On a side note there are 1000s even 10s of thousand of edible plant based species that grow on the earth. i don't know how old they are though.

Water caltrop nuts are common in Taiwan, very nutty and good for meat soups.

Whoever smelled a ginkgo fruit and said "let's eat this" !

Our sense of smell also evolved in the past couple thousand years. And the further back you go, the hungrier our ancestor will be.

I need to get food at the market, not wait for it to fall into a trap or fight it to death.

It's not the sarcotesta, the butyric-acid filled dogshit smelling thing, it's the "seed" (it's not really a seed, morphologically as I understand it...), the sclerotesta that's edible.

Fiddleheads from ferns are available at farmer's markets in the spring in my area, though not from the cinnamon fern specifically.

I'm having trouble finding sources for other specific fern species, though many ferns have been around for hundreds of millions of years.

I used to get them at Whole Foods in Nashua, NH. They're quite seasonal so I'd always grab some if I see em.

Apparently monkey puzzle nuts are great, I keep meaning to find some they do seem to seed around here sometimes but they are hard to reach.

Fern fiddleheads aren't bad if you get them at the right time, but I wouldn't go out of my way to eat them.

Lots of ferns where I live, and I've put fiddleheads in a few stirfries for the novelty of it. But some (bracken especially) are somewhat toxic or carcinogenic. Probably fine if you prepare them properly and don't eat them too often, but be aware.